Breakdown of Þeir stýra rakanum í gróðurhúsunum svo að skordýrin komi ekki.
ekki
not
þeir
they (m)
koma
to come
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
skordýrið
the insect
gróðurhúsið
the greenhouse
svo að
so that
stýra
to control / to steer
rakinn
the humidity
Questions & Answers about Þeir stýra rakanum í gróðurhúsunum svo að skordýrin komi ekki.
Why do we use komi instead of the regular present tense koma?
komi is the present subjunctive form of the verb koma (to come). In this lesson, we learn that the conjunction svo að (so that) triggers the subjunctive mood when it expresses the purpose of an action.
Why is the word for humidity, rakanum, in the dative case here?
The verb stýra (to control or steer) requires its object to be in the dative case. Therefore, the masculine noun raki with the attached definite article becomes rakanum.
Why is gróðurhúsunum also in the dative case?
Here it is because of the preposition í (in). When í describes a static location (where something is happening, rather than movement towards a place), it takes the dative case. gróðurhúsunum is the dative plural form of gróðurhús (greenhouse) with the definite article attached.
What is the base form of skordýrin and why does it end in -in?
The base word is the neuter noun skordýr (insect). Because it is a neuter noun, the plural form is exactly the same as the singular. To say 'the insects' in the nominative case, we add the neuter plural definite article -in, making it skordýrin.
Learn Þeir stýra rakanum í gróðurhúsunum svo að skordýrin komi ekki and more in Icelandic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free